OSHAWA OPTIMIST BACK IN THE BINGO BUSINESS?

OSHAWA, June 08 - A positive sign has finally hit the Optimist Club of Oshawa Inc members. We could be back in the Bingo Business.

The Oshawa club main fundrasiser weekly bingo at the Hideaway Bingo Hall ceased operation on Jan 31, 2009. The Whitby venue has been home for weekly Bingo’s since 1982 and the lost of revenue has hurt the sponsorship of Youth and Community events. We lost an estimated $10,000.00 in charity revenue said Bingo Optimist Bingo chair Jim Shaw. That lost money has resulted on cut-back or  elimination on the sponsorship agenda for this summer.

Earlier this week Freda Baldson offered a tentative verbal approval for the Oshawa entry at the Red Barn venue in Oshawa to operate once a month bingo’s commencing July 2009.  Thats a major drop inbingo  events however it allows the Oshawa Optimist a fresh starting on the road to recover At the present time the Oshawa Bingo account stands at a lowly $3.65 the lowest point ever in the club was formed on July 22, 1982.

Current plans call for all the Whitby clubs to transferred to either Oshawa or Pickering Bingo Halls. This would result in only two bingo halls within Durham Region from a previous high of upwards to twenty. The  Oshawa/Pickering agreement calls for a two year contract and will be reviewed by the Ontario Lottery and Game Commission in 2011.

Offical Oshawa approval will become officials once they produce a “Letters Patten” signed agreement that was produced in 1982  the  year the club was formed. This is a  Ontario government document and without  the cooperation of Oshawa/Whitby MPP Jerry Ouellette  this number document 623686  couldn’t be located. We expected this information will be  dispatched to the Oshawa officials in time to meet the June 30th deadline. Seems no current members  new the whereabouts of this document. An advance cost of $155.00 was charged  to conduct the search.

The Oshawas club have been  surviving on funds generated this winter from weekly Monday Nite Euchre held at Johnny’s Original Eatery. Euchre  operates during the winter months from mid September till early April.  Currently Euchre events a closed down for the summer and returns for it’s 4th season on September 14th.
Meanwhile our membership (Prior to Official Bingo Approval) have taken on a major fundraising challenge operating their first time  ever Car Raffle in support of the 26th annual  Food Hamper/Toy deliveries scheduled for December 20th. Ticket sales have been brisk.


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